Matching and Mismatching of Green Jobs: A Big Data Analysis of Job Recruiting and Searching

Abstract

Creating green jobs tackles two crises: the economic downturn and environmental degradation. Responding to the economic downturn, some governments have declared a “green new deal” to remedy unemployment and the economic crisis. Job creation has been suggested as a driving force for sustainable economic development and climate change action. However, the question of how many and what types of green jobs are required has not been systematically examined. Are green job openings and searches matching each other in terms of timing, sectors, regions, and salary? This study aims to explore the degree of matching between green job supply and demand using a big data analysis (BDA) of online job market recruiting services in South Korea from 2009 to 2020. The BDA of the Ecojob website reveals that green jobs are concentrated in Seoul and Gyeounggi-do metropolitan areas. The number of water- and air-quality-related jobs is high within these sectors. Job searches in the water quality sector outnumbered job openings. The findings imply that green job creation policy should reflect timing, regional, and sectoral demand and supply data. Creating and matching green jobs is expected to reduce environmental harm, enhance environmental quality, and reduce unemployment.